Robbie Drummond – Chair
Managing Director for CalMac Ferries Limited and Executive Board Director for the David MacBrayne Group, a customer focused and multiple award winning ferries and port operations business with revenues in excess of £200m. Appointed to the Group Board by Scottish Ministers.
Robbie has a keen interest in supporting business, particularly community based, and is a Non-executive Director of Stramash (an outdoor social enterprise business), a Member of the SCDI’s Highlands and Islands Committee, and a Member of IoD’s West of Scotland Committee
Juliet Robertson – Board Member & Specialist Advisor to Outdoor Nursery Settings
Juliet is one of Scotland’s leading education consultants who specialises in outdoor learning and play. She works at a national level delivering training, giving keynote speeches, leading and supporting innovative outdoor projects and writing content for websites, documents and case studies. She is passionate about enabling schools, play organisations and early years settings to provide quality outdoor learning and play opportunities for children and young people.
Juliet plays an active and supportive role in all matters regarding our nursery settings; an asset to the Stramash family!
Rachel Cowper
Rachel has been at the forefront of putting innovative plans into effective action at Inspiring Scotland since 2009, leading on the design and implementation of our Thrive Outdoors fund (the previous go2play fund) increasing outdoor play opportunities for children throughout Scotland, and has worked on all our previous play programmes.
Her experience in the third sector has made her a leading voice in helping to change and shape attitudes towards childhood health and wellbeing at a national policy level and on the ground. Her work on Thrive Outdoors has led to international recognition and cooperation with similar programmes and leading academics in the field of physically activity and outdoor play based learning.
With a background in economic regeneration and business development, including leading a foreign direct investment, she brings wealth of skills and experience to the roles she undertakes in her working and voluntary capacity.
Kenny Forsyth
Kenny has over 20 years experience in senior executive and non-executive roles and has worked across a wide range of disciplines including public and private sector advisory, corporate & project finance and merger/transaction/deal services, as Director of Operations for a major Scottish Software Company and Chief Executive of a Scottish homelessness charity.
Kenny is currently Glasgow City Council’s Programme Lead for Childcare expansion delivering the largest single revenue investment project in recent years in Scotland and a milestone programme for the future of Early Learning and Childcare. Kenny has a track record of supporting 3rd Sector businesses in his day-to-day work and also as a board member / trustee of a number of charities. Kenny served as a Commissioner on Scotland’s Commission for Childcare Reform and is current Chair of the Vale of Atholl Pipers Association.
Kenny acts as a mentor to young businesses via the Scottish Enterprise mentoring scheme. He is a past Trustee of the Scottish Schools Pipe-Band Development Trust and the macrobert Art Centre Stirling. He is a past member of Children in Scotland’s fundraising panel and CBI’s Scotland’s Public Services Group. Kenny takes a keen interest in the arts and has performed and recorded extensively as a professional musician.
Sarah McCann
Sarah taught physical education in Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh for 25 years and was also a guidance teacher for the latter 10 years.
Moving to Coll in 2005, she maintained her interest in teaching and is now working in Arinagour Primary School 2 days a week; mainly responsible for PE and all other aspects of Health and Wellbeing. Sarah also delivers the science area of the curriculum. A great deal of the childrens’ learning takes place outdoors and Sarah is responsible for co-ordinating activities.
Sarah says “I joined the Stramash board not long after my move to Coll. I was very interested in being a part of an organisation that wanted to make the outdoor learning environment accessible to as many children, young people and adults as possible. During my teaching years I have seen so many times the positive impact of being in the outdoors.
I have always been passionate about what the outdoors has to offer not only as a stimulating learning environment but also simply a place to enjoy. At every opportunity I encourage children to be aware of this and take every advantage of the wonders of the island where we live. There is so much to discover and experience.”